The name of the group originated from Sokka, who was inspired by the "catchy" name of an elite group of earthbenders. He suggested the "Boomeraang Squad", because it had "Aang" in it, the "Aang Gang", and the "Fearsome Foursome" before settling on Team Avatar.[9]

Contents

History

Formation

During the Hundred Year War, started by Fire LordSozin in 0 AG, Avatar Aang fled the Southern Air Temple shortly before the Air Nomad Genocide occurred. After being caught in a storm, Aang triggered the Avatar State and encased himself in a block of ice, an imprisonment which lasted for a hundred years.[13] Eventually, Katara and Sokka discovered the ice block, and Katara unintentionally used waterbending to release him. A brilliant ray of light suddenly shot out from the broken shell, and the two teenagers met him for the first time.[14] They later discovered his position as the Avatar and decided to accompany him on his journey to the Northern Water Tribe where he would master waterbending.[15]

Northern Water Tribe

Admiral Zhao soon plotted an attack on the Northern Tribe, sending in large naval forces to overwhelm the city.[24] Searching for answers on how to rescue the tribe, Aang ventured to the Spirit World,[25] where he visited the spirit Koh, the Facestealer. Soon afterward, the Moon Spirit, Tui, was captured and murdered by Zhao, causing the moon to turn red, before disappearing completely, rendering the waterbenders defenseless. In desperation, Aang worked together with the Ocean Spirit, La, to drive away the invading army. Meanwhile, PrincessYue, whose life was saved in her early childhood by Tui, gave up her life in order to save Tui's and became the present Moon Spirit.[26] When the siege had ended, the gang traveled south to find an earthbending teacher, particularly searching for KingBumi, whom they had met earlier.[27]

Earth Kingdom

The team journeyed to the city of Omashu in the hope of finding King Bumi as an earthbending instructor.[28] When they arrived, they discovered Omashu had been captured by the Fire Nation and renamed New Ozai. In dismay, the team rescued Bumi, who advised Aang to search for someone who waits and listens before striking.[29] Eventually traveling to the city of Gaoling, they met Toph Beifong, a powerful blind girl, who joined them in an effort to leave her overprotective parents and save the world.[3] Aang began learning earthbending under Toph[30] and continued practicing waterbending with Katara as his master. The team vacationed leisurely until they arrived at a secret library in the Si Wong Desert. There, they learned of a solar eclipse which would render all firebenders powerless. The group decided to bring this information to the Earth King, before discovering Appa had been captured.[31] They eventually crossed the Serpent's Pass, where they reunited with Suki and arrived at their destination: the Earth Kingdom capital, Ba Sing Se.[32]

In Ba Sing Se

Arriving at the outskirts of Ba Sing Se, the team was forced to battle and save Ba Sing Se from the drill, a Fire Nation mechanism designed to break through the walls of the Earth Kingdom's capital. The city was saved when Aang destroyed the drill.[9] In Ba Sing Se, the gang discovered a conspiracy led by Long Feng, the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se. Long Feng utilized his position as well as the Dai Li to cover up the concurrent war and gain control of the city.[33] After finding Appa, who was saved by Zuko,[34] the team attempted to inform the Earth King, Kuei, of the conspiracy. Though he distrusted them at first, he was eventually convinced the War was a reality upon viewing the destroyed drill. Long Feng was subsequently arrested by the Dai Li.[10]

The group disbanded for a week: Aang met with a guru, who would teach him to control the Avatar State, Sokka was reunited with his father after two years, Katara remained in the city to help the generals plan the invasion of the Fire Nation, and Toph was unexpectedly kidnapped and imprisoned in a metal box,[10] where she would discover the secret of metalbending.[35] After abandoning his training with the guru and reuniting with Sokka, Aang teamed up with Iroh and saved Katara and Zuko from the Crystal Catacombs of Old Ba Sing Se. Iroh pleaded with Zuko to reform and change his antagonistic ways; however, after a cunning offer to restore his honor from his sister, Azula, he changed sides and joined her. After Aang entered the Avatar State, Azula fired a bolt of lightning at him, striking and killing him. Immediately following this, Katara saved him by using her special water from the Spirit Oasis.[36]

In the Fire Nation

After the Coup of Ba Sing Se,[36] Team Avatar disguised themselves as ordinary Fire Nation civilians[37] and hid in various villages and cities of the Fire Nation, waiting for the Day of Black Sun and continuing Aang's training. In the village of Shu Jing, Sokka was trained by Master Piandao in swordsmanship.[38] In one village they met a waterbender named Hama of the Southern Water Tribe, the inventor of a specialized waterbending technique known as bloodbending. Hama held a deep grudge against the Fire Nation and its people after her years spent in captivity, attempting to exact revenge whenever possible. Katara was forced to utilize bloodbending in order to defend herself and her friends from Hama.[39]

On the Day of Black Sun, the gang invaded the Fire Nation Capital with the help of Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe warriors, using weapons and vehicles invented by Sokka and the mechanist.[6] The Fire Nation, however, was aware of the invasion plan, thus allowing Fire Lord Ozai to hide during the eclipse. The invasion failed, and only the youngest members of the group were able to escape on Appa. The rest of the invaders were taken prisoner.[7]

Western Air Temple

The gang and the other younger participants of the invasion – Haru, Teo, and The Duke – journeyed to the Western Air Temple. Zuko followed them with the objective to change his life and join Team Avatar to help end the War and defeat Fire Lord Ozai. He attempted to prove to the group that he had changed for the better, but it was only after he saved the gang from Combustion Man that Zuko received their acceptance as Aang's firebending teacher. However, Katara refused to trust Zuko and warned him of the consequences of any treachery.[4] Zuko began teaching Aang firebending, but because he had lost his original "drive" of chasing the Avatar, he was unable to bend. Refusing to fuel his bending with anger, Zuko and Aang traveled to the Sun Warriors' ancient city to learn about the origin of firebending with dragons.[40]

The benders of the group left on Appa to practice bending, and returned the next day to find Sokka had established a "bend-free establishment" for the nonbenders of the group. Throughout the night, the members of the so-called "Bendless Boomerang Club" made a loud show of their festivities. While the others seemed to take little or no notice of the club, Aang marveled enviously at their activities, insisting to the others that they had to find a way to get in on the action, but Katara convinced him to forget about the club. The next morning, however, all of the benders managed to convince Sokka to make exceptions to his "no benders" rule. After reciting the "Boomeranger Oath", all of the benders were granted membership.[41]

With the hope of saving Hakoda, Sokka later traveled with Zuko to the Boiling Rock, a Fire Nation prison which they infiltrated while disguised as security guards. After finding Suki in the prison and failing to escape with another prisoner called Chit Sang, they decided to postpone the escape when Sokka found his father.[42] They devised a new plan to escape, however, during this escape, they encountered Azula, Mai and Ty Lee. Mai aided Zuko and the others in the escape, causing Azula to challenge her after discovering her betrayal. However, Ty Lee intervened, paralyzing Azula, and the team escaped with Chit Sang, Suki and Hakoda.[5]

Back to the Fire Nation

The Avatar and his friends were forced on the run again after Azula found them in the Western Air Temple; here it was decided that Chit Sang, Hakoda, Haru, The Duke and Teo separate from the group. After fleeing to another hiding place, Zuko confronted Katara about her distrustful disposition toward him and thought of a way to gain her friendship. He decided to help Katara find Yon Rha, the Fire Nation soldier responsible for killing her mother. Together they found the man, but after confrontation with him, Katara refused to enact revenge on him. Upon returning, Katara finally forgave Zuko and accepted him as a trustworthy member of the team.[8]

Three days before the arrival of the Sozin's Comet, they traveled to Ozai's beach house, where Aang continued training. The group went to a play called "The Boy in the Iceberg", which was based on the adventures of the Avatar and his friends. Aang confronted Katara about their relationship, but she simply dismissed the idea, telling him she was confused.[43] Aang also had difficulties deciding how to defeat Ozai without taking the Fire Lord's life. His friends pressed him to kill the Fire Lord, but Aang insisted it went against his beliefs as an Air Nomad. In his sleep, Aang was drawn toward a mysterious island that appeared in the sea.[1] His friends hired June the bounty hunter to attempt to locate him again, but because she was unable to do so, they decided to search for Iroh instead. On the island, Aang asked for guidance from his past lives, but they too insisted that he must kill Ozai, now self-proclaimed Phoenix King. The island turned out to be a giant lion turtle, which gave Aang the guidance he had been seeking. When the rest of the team was on the search, they met the Order of the White Lotus, its leader being Iroh. After reuniting with Iroh, and they decided to go in different directions to help stop the Fire Nation and prepare for the final battle.[44]

Final battles of the Hundred Year War

Zuko and Katara confronted Azula, where she challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai; during the battle, Zuko was wounded by Azula's lightning blast while protecting Katara. Katara defeated Azula and healed Zuko's injuries. Meanwhile, Aang confronted Ozai in Wulong Forest but was unable to defeat him, still unwilling to kill him. Sokka, Toph and Suki attempted to halt the airship fleet but were soon separated, while the Order of the White Lotus battled for Ba Sing Se's freedom.[11]

Ozai accidentally caused Aang to enter the Avatar State by blasting him into a sharp rock with his firebending, unblocking his seventh chakra and fully restoring his connection to the Avatar Spirit. The Order of the White Lotus successfully liberated Ba Sing Se, while Sokka, Suki, and Toph disabled all of the airships. Aang overwhelmed Ozai while in the Avatar State, yet still refused to kill him; instead, he used the technique of energybending that he had learned from the lion turtle to strip Ozai of his firebending powers. Zuko was subsequently crowned the new Fire Lord and declared the War over. Later, Team Avatar celebrated together in the Jasmine Dragon along with Iroh and Mai.[12]

After the Hundred Year War

In the Earth Kingdom, Avatar Aang and Earth King Kuei planned to erase the Fire Nation colonies. Fire Lord Zuko felt uncomfortable to doing so, as the Fire Nation citizens who were living there refused to move back, having raised families with the Earth Kingdom citizens also living there and feeling at home. Aang and Katara tried to help fix the relations between the two countries, while Sokka helped Toph teach her students metalbending at her school. Zuko asked his father for advice. He was told that he needed to defend the colonies, and agreed to a peace meeting with the Earth King. Kuei, wanting to "be a man" and make up for his weak ruling, sent troops to evacuate the Fire Nation citizens by force. General Mak informed the Fire Lord of his spies' information concerning the firebender's suspicions, and Zuko immediately sent out soldiers to defend the colonies, nearly plunging the world into war once again.

Later on, Zuko called upon Team Avatar's assistance to help him find his mother and keep an eye on his sister who would be accompanying them. Azula and the team showed little kindness toward each each other. The Fire Princess lashed out a few times, triggering reaction from especially Katara who felt protective over Aang and Sokka. Once they ventured into the Forgetful Valley, tensions had not let up. However, when the team was under attack, Azula saved Sokka from Misu's plantbending, although said to have done it for selfish reasons.[45]

Legacy

The reputation of Team Avatar endured long after it had disbanded and most of its members had passed away. In 170 AG, Bolin mentioned that Aang had friends who helped him in his journeys. Encouraged by this, Korra and her friends Mako, Bolin, and Asami founded another group, which Bolin dubbed the "new Team Avatar".[46] Their team originally committed itself to protecting Republic City from the threat of Amon and the Anti-bending Revolution.

Terminology

The Gaang is an unofficial fan nickname for the core characters – Aang, Appa, Katara, Momo, Sokka, Suki, Toph, and Zuko; a portmanteau of "gang" and "Aang". The term is not used in canon, although Sokka's suggestion of "the Aang gang" comes about as close as possible while maintaining a sufficiently distinct pronunciation, but it may be seen on Avatar Trading Card Game cards.

Sokka also gave a few suggestions for a team name, which include the "Aang Gang", the "Boomeraang Squad", and the "Fearsome Foursome".[9]

After deciding that Aang would face Fire Lord Ozai when the comet came, Sokka said, "Team Avatar is back", and later, "Gather 'round, Team Avatar."[1]

Trivia

The members of Team Avatar are depicted here in adulthood.

Katara was the only member of Team Avatar to have mastered all sub-styles of their bending art, mastering both healing and bloodbending.

Toph was the only member of Team Avatar to invent a sub-style of their bending art.

Sokka was the only one who actually used "Team Avatar" to refer to the group; the others never saw the need for it, nor thought it would catch on.

Sokka and Katara were the only siblings in the group.

Aang was chronologically the oldest member of the group. Zuko was biologically the oldest.

Even though Team Avatar had no official leader, Sokka often acted as the unofficial leader of the group, as several episodes showed him planning things out. When Aang went missing three days before Sozin's Comet, Zuko assumed temporary leadership in order to find him and did so once again during their search for Ursa.

Katara, Toph, and Zuko are confirmed to be alive during the events of The Legend of Korra, while Aang and Sokka have been confirmed to have died.

Suki is the only member from the original Team Avatar not to have made an appearance nor been mentioned in The Legend of Korra, apart from being portrayed in a drawing with all the other members in "Welcome to Republic City"'s opening sequence.